8th District likely has to trim by 137,000

Washington’s 8th Congressional District saw the greatest amount of growth in the past 10 years, the secretary of state’s office said Wednesday.

Census information released Tuesday showed Washington state’s population grew by about 800,000, to 6.7 million. Washington will get an additional U.S. House seat in 2012, which means changes will be made to the existing nine districts.

The 8th, made up parts of Pierce County and Seattle’s eastern suburbs, is now about 137,000 people over the ideal district population of 672,000, secretary of state spokesman Dave Ammons said. Southwest Washington’s 3rd District has 115,000 too many people. The 7th District (Seattle) is only too big by about 34,000. Click here for a statewide map.

In 2011 a commission made up of two Democrats, two Republicans and one non-voting member will redraw the existing districts and add a new, 10th District. For more on that process, click here.